


OTA Route: CONTINUED

by orphan_account



Category: AI: The Somnium Files (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:42:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22823503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "It took significant time to analyze, due to being partially digested. However, it is determined that..." Aiba said, before becoming quiet. Date and Boss stayed quiet, in suspense for this 'second clue'."...It is the left eyeball of Shoko Nadami."This fanfic contains spoilers for the entirety of AI: The Somnium Files. Knowledge of every route in the game is required before reading (excluding Atami obviously).
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Day 5: Tuesday (syokuzAI) [10:33 PM]

"Iris took the kitchen knife...? But didn't the polar bear have it?" Date said, in confusion. The video showed the reflection of the wok showing that Iris calmly took the kitchen knife from Mayumi as she held it out before Ota called for Iris to leave. "Maybe Iris's kidnapper took it?" Boss suggested. Date quickly retaliated, however. "At the FamiSto parking lot...?" Date said, and as Boss fell into silence, Date continued. "Well, we can worry about that later. You said there were two clues, Aiba." Date said.

"Yes. I have learned new information. Thorough investigation results of Renju's autopsy has determined there was an object in his intestines." Aiba said, sending a shiver through Date's spine as he theorized what it could be. "What was it?" Date asked, hoping it was not what he ultimately thought it was. "A clump of organic matter. It took significant time to analyze, due to being partially digested. However, it is determined that..." Aiba said, before becoming quiet. Date and Boss stayed quiet, in suspense for this 'second clue'.

"...It is the left eyeball of Shoko Nadami."

\-----------------------------------------------------

**OTA ROUTE: CONTINUED**

\-----------------------------------------------------

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk1fONSONAE &list=PLBqbfNJ5kMRKHTJpr3DtT7erPL2F_IQOq&index=23]**

"...Repeat that again." I said, realizing my own suspicions were confirmed. "The clump of organic matter found within Renju Okiura's intestines is the left eyeball of Shoko Nadami." Aiba repeated. She was looking straight at me, I was able to see the sheer horror in my face. Boss was as cool as ever, however. "Date, calm down. If Iris wasn't attacked, or So killed, this would lead us to suspect Renju even further. But..." Boss said, trying to calm me down. She was right.

Almost a week ago, we discovered the body of Shoko Nadami. Her left eyeball was missing. The next day, shortly after the Psync with Mizuki, we found Renju's body after our search for him since he was highly suspect. We began to suspect Iris after that, however, two days later early in the morning after Ota hit me, we found her kidnapped and nearly killed live after that. "...Huh?" I said to myself, going over my thoughts once more.

Shoko Nadami, killed. Left eyeball, gone. Renju was the main suspect. Renju Okiura, killed. Left eyeball, gone. Iris was the first suspect. Iris Sagan, almost killed but saved by Ota. Left eyeball, gone. Ota and Mayumi were suspects, but... So Sejima was found killed after that, with his left eyeball gone.

"Date, you look as if you want to say something." Aiba pointed out. Looking through Aiba's vision, I saw myself thinking. "...Aiba, let me ask you something. There's a pattern in this Serial Killings case, isn't there?" I said. "A pattern? What do you mean?" Boss said. She's smart, I'd have thought she'd figure it out by now. Regardless...

 _"Date, Iris woke up earlier, remember?"_ Aiba said, in our own private chat together. _"Yeah, but she's probably still traumatized from the kidnapping..."_ I said before Aiba quickly interrupted me. _"And how do we know it is a kidnapping? Of Iris, I mean."_ Aiba said.

 **...What?** I felt my heart bump.

 _"I mean, it's possible Iris wasn't kidnapped... But someone else was."_ Aiba explained.

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JvLy0cHRlE]**

**[CLUES]**

**> So Sejima Visit (The Taxi Driver and Mayumi spotted the van Iris was being kidnapped in at Sejima's household. This was after the FamiSto stop.)**

**> FamiSto Stop (The Van Ota and Iris were in stopped at FamiSto, while Mayumi had the Taxi Driver stopped at the 8/12 100 yards away.)**

**> Ota Leaving Van (Ota left the van after making a stop, to get a drink for him and Iris according to his testimony. This proves he did not kidnap Iris, as it is backed up by the Taxi Driver's visional testimony.)**

**> Mayumi Leaving Van (Mayumi left to get an Odoroki-Man chocolate after stopping at the 8/12. This caused her to miss Ota leaving the van that Ota and Iris drove away in.)**

**> Van Driven Away (A little after Ota left the van, Iris was supposedly kidnapped and driven away. Ota took an unlocked car, as Mayumi and the Taxi Driver continued to give chase.)**

**> Restricted Zone Stake Out (The van Iris was being kidnapped in headed into the restricted district. Mayumi and the Taxi Driver waited out for a couple of hours, when the van drove back out at some point.)**

**> Fishery Cold Storage Warehouse End (The Okiura Fishery Cold Storage Warehouse was the final stop, as this is where Iris was nearly killed but saved by Ota. Mayumi left the Taxi Driver at this point.)**

**> Taxi Driver Testimony (Some details are not mentioned, in some points.)**

**> ??? **

**[PROFILES]**

**> Date Kaname (Myself. I'm an investigator at ABIS.)**

**> Boss (My Boss. She heads up everyone here at ABIS.)**

**> Aiba (My left eye. She's a supercomputer packed into one tiny eyeball.)**

**> Iris Sagan (The third 'victim'. She's mostly known by her stage name, A-Set, or Tesa. She is currently in the hospital at the general ward.)**

**> Ota Matsushita (A hyper fan of A-Set, or Iris. He saved Iris's life at the Cold Storage Warehouse, and is the son of Mayumi Matsushita.)**

**> Mayumi Matsushita (The mother of Ota Matsushita. Her husband died from overwork a few years back, and currently suffers from dementia. Recently retracted her confession of committing the New Cyclops Serial Killings.)**

**> Renju Okiura (The father of Mizuki Okiura, and ex-husband of Shoko Nadami, the first victim in this case. Also a good friend of mine. Renju was the second victim, found at Sunfish Pocket while we searched for him as he became a suspect in Shoko Nadami's case, and his murder proved there was a serial killer on the loose. Shoko Nadami's left eyeball was discovered in his intestines.)**

**> Mizuki Okiura (The daughter of Renju Okiura and Shoko Nadami. My 'roommate' of sorts, I agreed to look after her for Renju. Currently residing at the Date Residence. She's a powerful girl with a snarky attitude.)**

**> So Sejima (A famous congressman, he was found murdered in his own home, cut up into pieces and his left eyeball removed. The investigation surrounding his death is making no progress.)**

****

Someone... Else? _"Date. You have all the information to realize the truth."_ Aiba said. I had no idea where this was going, but it was time to think. _"First, recall the Taxi Driver's testimony during his chase. Remember all of it."_ Aiba explained. I began to recall it... _"Here is your first clue. How do we know it is possible Iris drove the van?"_ Aiba said. I then thought...

_[Input Two Clues.]_

\-----------------------------------------------------

_[Van Driven Away | Taxi Driver Testimony]_

_"...The Taxi Driver never mentioned another person getting into the van Iris was in, right?"_ I said, finally starting to catch on. _"It seems you remember. Good. While it is possible that the kidnapper could have simply gotten in on the other side of the van, away from the Taxi Driver's field of view, it is still an interesting point of information."_ Aiba explained. To summarize, the Taxi Driver never mentioned a third party getting into the van. _"But why was Iris attacked, even still...?"_ I asked.

 _"Allow me to answer your question with another question. Here is your second clue. Who could possibly be the attacker? And how would they meet Iris?"_ Aiba said.

_[Input a profile, and a clue.]_

\-----------------------------------------------------

_[So Sejima | So Sejima Visit]_

After going through all the possibilities, only one person could've gotten close to Iris outside of a shaky potential kidnapper. _"So Sejima, right? The van Iris was in made a stop around there."_ I explained. It was shaky reasoning at best, but Aiba was probably onto something. As we continued on, Boss stared in silence. _"Naturally. So Sejima, at this state, is very likely to be the man inside the polar bear costume."_ Aiba explained. _"But that doesn't make sense. If he took Iris's left eyeball out, that'd make him the new Cyclops Serial Killer. I'm not sure about his alibi during Shoko and Renju's murders, but he was murdered himself a few hours before I discovered his body."_

 _"Perhaps. But you mentioned it yourself, did you not? There is a pattern. I realized it after Iris was attacked, of course, and it seems you are now as well."_ Aiba said. The pattern... _"The suspects in the previous murder become the next victim, huh?"_ I explained. _"Exactly. Now then, let me ask you another question. This will be your third clue. Why would Iris drive over to So? And if so, what was their destination if So did get in the van?"_ Aiba explained. I quickly assumed it was to get to the cold storage warehouse, but I realized that doesn't make sense. Then again, there is one other place that doesn't make sense...

_[Input One Clue.]_

\-----------------------------------------------------

_[Restricted Zone Stakeout]_

It did bug me a little bit... But I was too focused on So Sejima at the time since the van Iris was 'kidnapped' in went to his place, and then he was found murdered when I went there myself... _"Why did the van go to the Restricted Zone?"_ I said. As I said that it felt like something hit my head hard. Like, harder than how Ota hit me. "Gah...!"

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPM1FyjxcfQ &list=PLBqbfNJ5kMRKHTJpr3DtT7erPL2F_IQOq&index=52]**

\-----------------------------------------------------

_We went into what looked like a factory... But was actually the chemical plant that exploded 8 years ago. "Ah...!" A woman's voice called out. I rushed over to her, to give her comfort and to figure out what was happening. She was grasping her head. "She may die within the next 15 to 20 minutes." A voice- Aiba- said to me._

_"We have to help her...! We can use the Psync machine, it worked before! If we can just, save her in her Somnium..." I said, distressed._

_I eased the girl onto one of the seats of the Psync machine and grabbed what looked like a manual off the shelf. I only heard myself distressing over the contents before I walked over to Iris to..._

\-----------------------------------------------------

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbL9rR0hnYw &list=PLBqbfNJ5kMRKHTJpr3DtT7erPL2F_IQOq&index=21]**

"Date! Are you alright?!" Aiba called out to me, as I drifted back to reality. "Agent Date, pull yourself together!" Boss called out. "...Right, apologies for my silence, Boss. I was just thinking about some things with Aiba." I explained, but I couldn't be bothered to say the details. I had somewhere to be. "Did you figure something out?" Boss said. "Something like that, I'll be back soon. I'm headed to Sejima's place to investigate, for now, maybe the investigators missed something..." I said, knowing it was a flat-faced lie. Seems like Boss bought it though. "Alright. Be back soon." Boss said. "Got it, no problem. Let's go, Aiba." I called out. "Understood," Aiba said, and we were both headed out fast.

As I got into my van, and began driving off, I quickly gave Aiba my next set of instructions. _"Aiba, put Pewter on the line."_ I said, using our internal thoughts. _"Understood."_ Aiba said, projecting her human form in my left eye on the passenger seat. Pewter was quickly put on the phone. "Agent Date? What is the matter?" Pewter asked. "No time to explain, I need you to get the Psync Machine ready within the next two hours just in case," I explained. "I'm sure I could get it done in half an hour, the machine did not have as much trouble as you did with Ota when you Psynced with Mayumi." Pewter explained. "Good. I need it ready when I get back, just in case." I said.

"You've said 'just in case' twice... Do you have a new potential suspect within the case?" Pewter asked. "Not yet, no. But I may just be able to shorten our list greatly, if down to one suspect if I'm right." I explained. "U-Understood, then. The Psync Machine will be prepared." Pewter said, and the line was cut-off. _"Date, what did you realize?"_ Aiba asked. Truth be told, I had no idea myself. I just knew... There was a place I had to be. _"I think I figured out where that van went."_ I explained. _"What...?!"_ Aiba exclaimed in surprise. It's not easy to catch her off guard.

We spent some time driving, as we didn't have much to talk about regarding the case. We drove through the entrance to the restricted district, and off to the abandoned power plant... I had no idea how I knew where to go, exactly how to go there. But I just went anyways. I drifted over to the entrance to the abandoned plant, and got my Evolver out as I exited the car.

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6iRDTBP0A &list=PLBqbfNJ5kMRKHTJpr3DtT7erPL2F_IQOq&index=59]**

_"This is what caused this whole district to become restricted... What caused Ota's family to start suffering."_ I said, as I looked around. It looked so rusted and abandoned. Yet, I kept walking as I held my Evolver out. _"No living organisms detected within a 50 feet radius, Date. There is no need to hold your Evolver out."_ Aiba said, and I eased myself a little bit. As I walked around this place that looked like something out of a horror movie, I came face-to-face with a giant door. I opened the door and saw...


	2. Day 5: Tuesday (kikAI) [11:47PM]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Parallel worlds exist!"_

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6iRDTBP0A &t=4s]**

...

...

...

 _"Date, I know this comes as a shock to you as much as it does for me, but you need to calm down."_ Aiba said. The voice in my head pulls me back to my senses, as I begin to process what just happened.

As soon as I opened the large sliding door, it unveiled what seemed to be a Psync machine... Yet, it's not like anything I've seen before. But, even so, that wasn't the surprise. As soon as I saw the Psync machine, I felt... Calm? For the lack of a better term, I didn't feel too surprised. It was as if... I already knew. That there was a second Psync machine here.

As I continued to think about the situation, Aiba spoke up again. _"The existence of a second Psync machine is highly worth reporting. Shall I put Boss on the line?"_ Aiba asked. Normally, I would've said yes. But for some reason... I couldn't tell Boss. Not her, of all people. _"No. Put Pewter on the line instead."_ As I told her to do so, Aiba went silent for a brief second before she complied. _"Understood."_

The sounds of ringing echoed through my ears, waiting for Pewter to pick up. _"Agent Date? Is something wrong?"_ Pewter spoke, as he picked up the phone. _"Just to confirm something, is the Psync machine at ABIS the only Psync machine in the world?"_ I asked. I needed to know. _"...No. There was a second Psync machine, a prototype, but it was stolen six years ago. Its whereabouts are currently unknown."_ Pewter explained. Just as I suspected.

I continued to speak. _"Well, it's unknown no longer. I'm standing right in front of it."_ I said. _"A-Are you certain?!"_ Pewter said, in surprise. _"Not so loud! Don't tell the Boss about this. Aiba will send you a photo of the prototype."_ I said. Telling him to not tell Boss was something that just came out of my mouth naturally. _"T-The Boss? Why can't she know?"_ Pewter asked. Truth be told, I don't know the reason. I just know we can't.

 _"Just trust me on this, alright, Pewter? This is all set-up to catch the culprit, I'm sure."_ I said. Pewter remained silent for a moment, before speaking up. _"...I see. I understand. It's funny, the Boss is currently out right now. She mentioned going to speak with a witness of the case."_ Pewter said. Under normal circumstances, that would sound completely normal for an investigator to do. But for me...

 _"Who is this witness she's meeting with?"_ I asked. I needed to know. _"...Hitomi Sagan. My guess was that Boss was going to talk to her about Iris's awakening."_ Pewter mentioned.

\-----------------------------------------------------

_It was early in the morning. Almost 3:00 AM, as far as I'm aware. A mature woman is sitting in front of me, and a man in strange clothing was watching it all. I seemed to be interrogating this woman._

_"A-Agent Date! You need to see this, it's streaming live!" The man shouted as he pulled out a laptop displaying a video. A woman tied to a chair, with bombs rigged on her._

_"Do as I say, and I'll tell you the location of her..." The mature woman in front of me said._

\-----------------------------------------------------

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS0HZcUurhY &t]**

I grasped my head in pain, like at Boss's office. What I just saw... No, remembered... _"Agent Date! Are you alright?"_ Pewter shouted from the call. My memory was fuzzy, but I knew what had to be done. _"Pewter, listen closely. Gather what men you can and locate the location of Boss. I need to find Hitomi, now."_ I said. I was panicking internally, I never felt so panicked ever since Iris was live-streamed, nearly dying.

Pewter spoke once more, in a state of confusion like my own. _"Y-You need the Boss? But what for?"_ Pewter asked, I had no time to explain though. If I was right, time was of the essence. _"Just do it! And make sure the Psync machine is ready for me to Psync with her!"_ I shouted. Why was I saying these things? Why did I need to find Hitomi? I didn't know, but my consciousness told me to do so. _"I-I understand. If it'll help us find the killer..."_ Pewter said, before hanging up the line.

 _"Date, what was that all about?!"_ Aiba asked, in a loud tone. _"No time to explain. We need to head to Boss's house, now!"_ I said, as I ran as fast as I could. The distance between me and my car was not far, but every second felt like a minute. I jumped in the car and hit the pedal to the metal on instinct. _"Aiba, I need you to tell me the location of Boss's house."_ I said. _"That information is not in my database, nor the cloud."_ Aiba said. "Shit!" I shouted, nearly hitting my head against the wheel.

I had to think... How can I find Boss's house and her personal information? Just one place... Just one thing related to her is all I'd potentially need. **What could I use to locate Boss's house?**

? **[CLUES]**

**> So Sejima Visit (The Taxi Driver and Mayumi spotted the van Iris was being kidnapped in at Sejima's household. This was after the FamiSto stop.)**

**> FamiSto Stop (The Van Ota and Iris were in stopped at FamiSto, while Mayumi had the Taxi Driver stopped at the 8/12 100 yards away.)**

**> Ota Leaving Van (Ota left the van after making a stop, to get a drink for him and Iris according to his testimony. This proves he did not kidnap Iris, as it is backed up by the Taxi Driver's visional testimony.)**

**> Mayumi Leaving Van (Mayumi left to get a bar of Odoroki-Man chocolate after stopping at the 8/12. This caused her to miss Ota leaving the van that Ota and Iris drove away in.)**

**> Van Driven Away (A little after Ota left the van, Iris was supposedly kidnapped and driven away. Ota took an unlocked car, as Mayumi and the Taxi Driver continued to give chase.)**

**> Restricted Zone Stake Out (The van Iris was being kidnapped in headed into the restricted district. Mayumi and the Taxi Driver waited out for a couple of hours when the van drove back out at some point.)**

**> Fishery Cold Storage Warehouse End (The Okiura Fishery Cold Storage Warehouse was the final stop, as this is where Iris was nearly killed but saved by Ota. Mayumi left the Taxi Driver at this point.)**

**> Taxi Driver Testimony (Some details are not mentioned, in some points.)**

**> Boss's Computer (Consists of most investigation info, and some details regarding her and her co-workers.)**

[Input One Clue.]

\-----------------------------------------------------

[Boss's Computer]

"I knew I was forgetting something!" I shouted to myself. My memory recalled her computer- I never checked it out myself. Maybe, just maybe... _"Aiba, we're going to ABIS now! How long?"_ I said, demanding information. _"It took 40 minutes for us to get to the Plant from there. It'll likely take the same amount of time, however, you don't need to worry. I can access the Boss's computer from here."_ Aiba said, easing my worries. _"Well, what info do we have?!"_ I asked, in a panicked tone.

Aiba remained silent for a moment, and I only heard the loud thumping of my heart. _"Date, you need to see this."_ Aiba said. She began to project a video into my left eye, and I pulled over to not get distracted while on the road. What I saw... Was unbelievable.

**[Music-Stop]**

\-----------------------------------------------------

"Agh... Ugh..." A voice said. That voice belonged to the politician sitting down, his left eye missing, and with a gun to his head. It was So Sejima. My thoughts spiraled downwards, and even further down as I watched. Why was this video on Boss's computer, for one? I had no time to think as the trigger of the gun in the video was pulled. A clean shot through Sejima's head as his eye remained open, but his breath gone. The killer in the video walked towards the camera, and as they- she- bent down to come face-to-face...

**Boss.**

\-----------------------------------------------------

_**THE CASE WILL BE REOPENED** _


	3. Day 6: Wednesday (yakusAI) [12:21AM]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A journey isn't complete until you come home."

Silence. That was all that I could hear, nothing. As myself, and Aiba, stared at the video we just saw in shock. _"Boss...? But why would she..."_ I said to myself. It was so... Unnatural. That Boss killed So, and took his left eyeball out. But at the same time, I wasn't surprised. As if it was just... Meant to be. _"Date, while you are in considerable shock, and so am I, your stress levels have barely changed. As if you already knew."_ Aiba stated. She wasn't wrong...

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS0HZcUurhY]**

_"Date, I understand why we need to find Hitomi now. If Boss really is the killer, she could very well be a threat to Hitomi's life."_ Aiba finished explaining. It all started to make sense, but confusion still remains. The questions had to wait until later, as I began to recall the reason we hacked into Boss's computer from here. _"Did you find what we're looking for?"_ I asked Aiba. _"Yes. It appears Boss's house is linked to this computer, I will send you the coordinates to her house now."_ Aiba finished speaking, as our GPS began to move towards our new destination.

My foot hit the gas, as we went down the road at high speeds. A few seconds later, I regained control of my emotions and stress and went at a speed not slow, but would not cause me to put myself at risk. We were a good thirteen minutes away at the speed we were going, so we had to move fast. It was the dead of midnight, the full moon tonight was brightening the road as I felt every second, Hitomi could be dead. Even when I cooled down, the questions swirled my mind, spinning it around at the speed of the merry-go-round in Mizuki's Somnium.

Why was the prototype Psync machine found at the abandoned plant in the Kabasaki district? Why was Hitomi a new target? Why did Boss kill So? And most of all... How did I know most of this already? Questions, that I couldn't find the answers to in my state. As I made a left turn, fast approaching Boss's house, Aiba spoke to me once more. _"Date, a call from Pewter!"_ Aiba shouted. _"Answer it!"_ I yelled internally. Pewter's oh-so familiar voice then entered my ears, and registered the words he's speaking. But even I couldn't believe what he was saying.

 _"Date, listen closely. A video of Hitomi is being broadcast-ed live, and she is strapped with explosives. The video is being routed through multiple IP's, so we cannot get a lead on where this video is being played."_ Pewter explained, as I gripped the wheel tighter, I almost felt as if the car went slightly faster. We were only about two minutes away from Boss's house, before Pewter continued. _"The kidnapper has sent a message, that if we want to know the location of 'this woman', we'd send Special Agent Kaname Date to the abandoned plant in the Kabasaki District... You, Date."_ Pewter finished.

"Tch...!" I said. "Shit!" I cursed, loudly under my breath. "Date... What are you going to do? If this is the same killer of the New Cyclops Serial Killings..." Pewter said. As he said that, me and Aiba arrived at our destination. I gripped my Evolver and exited the car. _"I'm going to save Hitomi, is what!"_ I said, and had the phone cut off. I went up to the door, but it was locked, as expected. I fired my Evolver on the lock, and busted my way in. "If there's anyone inside, come out with your hands up!" I shouted. _"Aiba, anyone here?"_ I asked.

 _"A single lifeform, although they seem to be breathing slowly. Likely asleep."_ Aiba said. That's got to be Hitomi. I need to move, fast. _"Aiba, can you determine where they are?"_ I asked once more. _"Somewhere below us!"_ Aiba exclaimed, and I looked around to find a way to the basement. The door to the basement was unlocked, so I ran down. I found multiple rooms, and briefly looked through them and opened them...

And then I found Hitomi, strapped to a chair, rigged with explosives. "Hitomi!" I ran over to her. Her breathing was stable, she seemed to be asleep right now. _"Date, be careful! We don't know how to disable these explosives."_ Aiba shouted to me, giving me a reality check. Time was of the essence. _"Do we have any bomb experts to help us disable these?"_ I asked Aiba, hoping to god for an answer. _"How rude, assuming I'm not capable of anything and everything."_ She replied, with a pompous tone to her voice. _"But didn't you say- Forget it, how do I?"_ I asked.

 _"Go behind Hitomi, and open the back of the explosive vest. All the bombs here are connected to one timer, and one detonation device. If we disable that, we stop the bombs."_ Aiba explained, and I went over that through my head real quick. _"Got it. Let's do it."_ I said, as I followed her instructions. As I unzipped the back of the heavy jacket, I found a digital clock that displayed 4 red numbers, currently counting down from 29:43. _"It seems the kidnapper was heavily intent on dragging you. But never intended on letting Hitomi live, regardless."_ Aiba explained.

 _"Two wires, Aiba. Which one do I cut?"_ I asked, desperately, as I grabbed my pocket knife. _"When the timer displays at least one five, cut the blue wire. You will need to cut the red wire **exactly** five seconds after that. Understood?"_ Aiba explained. I nodded my head, as I watched the timer tick down with my pupils dilating. 29:22. 29:21. 29:20. 29:19. 29:18. 29:17. 29:16- _"Now!"_ As Aiba shouted that, the second the timer hit 29:15 the blue wire was snipped. It wasn't over yet, though. The timer was still counting down...

29:13. 29:12. 29:11- _"Cut it now!"_ Aiba shouted, as I cut the red wire right as soon as it hit 29:10... And the timer stopped.

**[Music Stop]**

My palms were sweaty. The pocket knife's grip could've been crushed were it just a little bit weaker. But, at last, Hitomi was saved from her kidnapper- Boss. _"Date, let's get that vest off of her."_ Aiba said, and I nodded my head. After a brief moment of cutting off the right spots, carefully taking the jacket apart, Hitomi was saved. I lifted her up and over my shoulder, and exited the house to bring Hitomi to my car.

Confusion still remained, but at least... I could calm down. If only barely. _"We can't bring her to her house... She'll probably be unsafe there."_ I said. The Sagan household was clearly unsafe now. _"It is also likely that the Date residence could be targeted, considering you're a key person of interest."_ Aiba added on. _"So that just leaves..."_ I said, knowing what that meant. _"Ota Matsushita was very likely discharged after you had him reconcile with Mayumi. I believe it would be best to head to the Matsushita diner."_ Aiba explained, using her logic. I had no reason to object.

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a5JpoqgeAQ]**

However, there's just one other thing. _"Can we at least get Mizuki? She's probably sleeping right now, but she's in a very precarious spot as well."_ I said. It was nearly 1:00AM, but it's not like we had a choice. _"It would be wise to do so. We are not far, perhaps 6 minutes away."_ Aiba said, and I drove my way over to my home.

Once we finally arrived, I let Hitomi rest in the car for a bit, as I entered my little apartment. Thankfully, no big surprises were here, save for a sleeping Mizuki. I would've preferred to carry her to the car, but she'd probably get angry at me for that. So, I decided to try and wake her up instead. "Mizuki... Wake up." I called out to her, hoping she'd wake up. She shuffled and groaned, and her eyes began to open. "Mmh... Date...?" Mizuki muttered out. "Sorry for waking you up this late, but circumstances called that we need to head somewhere else for the night." I explained.

Mizuki only groaned as she sat up. "Is it... Related to what happened with Ota and Iris?" She asked. "Something like that. Come on, I'll explain on the ride." I said, reaching for her hand to help her stand up. She didn't take it, and got up on her own. "Where are we going?" Mizuki asked, acting as if she was wide awake... But she looked like she could fall with every step she took. "Matsushita diner. We'll be safe there. Me, you, and Hitomi." I said. "...Huh?" Mizuki spoke out in a little bit of shock. "I'll tell you in the car, let's go." I said, and exited the room, making sure Mizuki was following me.

We gathered in the car, as Mizuki took the back seat. "Homeroom teacher...!" Mizuki cried out, my guess is she was referring to Hitomi. "Homeroom Teacher?" I asked regardless, I had to be sure. "Yeah... Ms. Sagan is my homeroom teacher, its part of how I got to know Iris." Mizuki explained, giving a small grin. I was just glad to hear that such a nice teacher was looking after Mizuki... As we took to the road. The full moon basked Tokyo in it's clear light, as we slowly approached the diner and made our way in. As expected, it was unlocked.

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHnkDChR9U]**

"Date!" A voice called out, but it was a familiar one. "Hey, Ota. Glad to see you're out of the hospital." I said, giving a small grin. "Yeah. Shortly after I talked with my mom for a bit, they said I was free to go. Iris was sleeping again by the time I got out, but I at least got to see her! Her eye is... Well, currently it's patched up, but since they can't find the eye, she's going to get a fake eye for now." Ota explained, recapping on what happened with him, Mayumi, and Iris after I left. "Sorry since it's so soon, but I need to ask you a favor." I said.

I then explained the situation as briefly as I could. How Hitomi nearly got killed, how someone was out for both me and her, and how I'm bringing Mizuki here so we can rest here for the night. "Hitomi was almost... Killed? By who?!" Ota shouted, and asked who the kidnapper was. I kept the detail about Boss being the killer secret for now. "We're working on it, but do you think it's possible for us three?" I asked. "Uh, y-yeah... I owe you a lot, since you helped me and my mom. Plus, Mizuki's a good friend and I can't say no to her homeroom teacher slash Iris's mom." Ota said. "Thanks, glad to hear it. Mizuki will be coming in soon, and I'll get Hitomi." I said.

There was so much to dwell on as I went out back to the car, but one thing is for certain. Nothing makes sense anymore.


	4. Day 6: Wednesday (keikAI) [11:04AM]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mama, there are buff people with macho muscles dancing outside of Marble right now."

I groggily grabbed my head. I found myself resting on a couch... Was I sleeping just a moment ago? I tried to get up, but my body didn't want to. Just how tired was I...? I let my body recover from being inactive for so long, and I finally managed to sit up. Looking at my surroundings, it's... Unfamiliar. It feels quaint- Wait, what WAS I doing last night? As I tried to think, I felt a headache hit me. I couldn't sit here all day, so I got up saw there were stairs leading up, and a door leading out. I headed out the door...

As I went through the door, I found myself behind a counter. Behind the counter with me was... Mayumi? Oh, I remember now. I brought Hitomi and Mizuki here to the Matsushita Diner to stay safe from people that could be after us now, and I guess I slept for quite a while after I went to rest... "So- Oh, Date!" Mizuki called out, noticing me. Ota quickly turned to my position, and looked a little shocked. Mayumi also turned to me. "Oh! It seems one of our guests woke up." Mayumi said. Judging by how she said, I guess her dementia is acting up again.

"Hey, Date. Uh, how are you?" Ota asked, with an awkward tone to his voice. "I'm fine, thanks to you. I was able to get a good night's rest for the first time in a while... Actually, what time is it right now?" I asked, as I talked about my situation. "Uh... I got up about an hour ago, along with Mizuki, so... 11:15, I guess?" Ota said. "I slept for about 10 hours?" I asked. _"Yes you did. You should sleep more often."_ A familiar voice rang in my head. _"Aiba, why didn't you wake me up during what I normally tell you?"_ I asked, irritated.

Aiba responded quickly. _"Don't you know already? You've barely been sleeping lately. I figured you'd may as well get some time off, after these absurd past few days."_ Aiba stated, and I couldn't object to that. As the two of us bickered, it seemed Ota and Mayumi were talking. I did hear a noticeable 'oh!' coming from Mayumi, so maybe Ota was talking to her about me. "Hey, Date. Don't you have a bunch of answers to our questions that you should give us?" Mizuki said. Right, I did promise I'd talk about the situation.

"Right, I guess I'll talk to you about it. Ota deserves to know, too." I said, inviting Ota over to our table. He quickly nodded and came over to us. "Well, I suppose I'll let you all catch up with each other. I'll be in the back!" Mayumi said, before leaving the area. "So, how should I start..." I said, before going on to explain the story. How we gotten a lead on the killer (I obscured Boss's identity), found Hitomi strapped with explosives, how the kidnapper wanted to see 'me' specifically, and how I brought her and Mizuki here. "You're kidding... Iris's mother was almost killed?" Ota said, with understandable shock in his expression.

"So that's why you came to get me, because you were worried they'd come after me since they were after you..." Mizuki said, looking a little down and with an apologetic tone. _"It appears Mizuki is regretting some words she once said to you._ Aiba said, in my head. "Yeah. As I said, the kidnapper wanted me specifically. Hitomi was already a good bargaining chip, but if they got you..." I said, with a glare in my eyes.

Ota spoke up again. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. Hitomi is still sleeping upstairs, not sure when she's going to wake up, though." Ota explained to me, which was another worry that I had gone away from me. "So... What now? You said you had a lead on the killer?" Mizuki said. "I do, but if it's who I think it is... Getting them to admit it will be easier said than done." I said to myself. Boss commands ABIS, and has an SAT team with her. Confronting her directly, in any place that isn't an interrogation room, is out of the question.

"Well, I'm gonna head in the back for now." Ota said. "Who knows? Maybe the news will have an update on the serial killings." He said, before heading into the back room, leaving Mizuki and me alone. "Um, Date..." Mizuki sputtered out. "Huh?" I replied back, in confusion. "...Thanks for thinking about my well-being." Mizuki said, before she went into full silence. _"Looks like she recognizes that."_ I spoke in my head, giving an agreement to what Aiba said.

I decided to get up, and head to where Ota was. But, I was quickly interrupted.

**[ Music Stop ]**

_"Date, what's that on the table booth to your right?"_ Aiba said. _"Huh?"_ I replied back, what was she... _"Could it be... Your favorite thing? A porno mag."_ "

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzi0P8ZdiSk]**

"A what-" I quickly jumped to my right, in pure excitement looking over the booths- But I saw nothing. No porno mag. _"Aiba, where is-"_ I said, but then my brain processed a gunshot from behind. Mizuki screamed out, and I quickly turned around gripping my Evolver. I turned to see the door busted down, with SAT beginning to fill the place. "Kaname Date, you are under arrest for the murder of Shoko Nadami!" The SAT yelled out. _"What the hell is going on?!"_ I panicked in my mind.

 _"It appears Boss is making a move sooner rather than later. A head-on fight will be difficult."_ Aiba said, giving me no relief whatsoever. _"I will give Ota call, try to stall for time."_ Aiba said, before going silent. "Hey, what the hell is going on?!" I kept my Evolver pointed at the SAT team. "You have the right to remain silent!" The SAT team responded. "Boss is tricking you, why are you blindly following her orders?!" I shouted out, to no avail. _"Done. We'll need to act fast so my calculations play out accordingly."_ Aiba spoke quickly, and the plan went into action.

 _"First, load Evolver with explosive bullets. Then, fire at the light in the center of the ceiling fan. No time to explain, do it now!"_ Aiba explained, before I quickly loaded the Evolver as she said, and aimed carefully at the light... And pulled the trigger. "Mizuki, watch out!" I shouted, as the bullet shot exploded, shattering the glass containing the light and spreading the parts of the fan all around. The SAT were hit, some surprised, but it looked like they'd fire me at any second. _"Aiba, I hope you have a plan...!"_ I panicked. _"Do not worry. Grab two pieces of the fan that dropped by you, toss one towards the door to the backroom and the other to Mizuki."_

I quickly did as she said, throwing one to where Ota left by and the other directly towards Mizuki. Some of the SAT briefly looked away, but quickly turned their faces towards me again. _"Aiba...!"_ I was sweating bullets at this point. _"Now then, load Evolver with wire bullets and prepare to fire at the SAT once I give you the signal."_ I did as Aiba instructed, and awaited for said signal. "If you do not drop the Evolver in 3 seconds, we will fire!" The SAT shouted out, but they didn't even have time to begin the countdown.

On the left side of their line up, they were knocked out by Mizuki. On the right side, Ota attacked them with the part of the ceiling fan, knocking them down but not nearly strong enough. _"Now!"_ Aiba yelled out. I pulled the trigger on my Evolver, swinging it from right to left to wrap up the SAT in the wire. By then, Mizuki took care of her side and helped out Ota with the other... Quickly ending the combat.

**[ Music Stop ]**

Ota was breathing heavily, I was sweating buckets, and Mizuki was triumphant. "What the hell happened...?" Ota asked, as he dropped his 'weapon' (if a part of a ceiling fan could be called that). "Hmph. Child's play!" Mizuki exclaimed, her hands to her hips. "Looks like the killer has decided to make their move..." I explained, how they called me the killer. And then, I revealed it to be Boss. "Boss...?! Why would she do all of this?!" Mizuki shouted out in surprise. "Your guess is as good as mine." I said.

Ota then spoke up. "But wow, Date! You managed to do all of this and have us triumph against these people! How did you think so quickly?!" Ota grinned in excitement. "Now that I think about it, how did you know to pick up that fan piece, Ota?" Mizuki asked. "Huh? What do you mean? Date called me..." Ota said. _"Aiba, what the hell did I say about using my voice without my consent!?"_ I yelled out in my mind. _"You never said anything about that? Besides, Ota would have asked even more questions if I revealed myself at that moment."_ Aiba said.

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pYE56RZCQ]**

"Huh? But Date never pulled out his phone." Mizuki pointed out. "Well, you see... Uh..." I began to speak up, but I couldn't come up with a lie. _"Date, perhaps it'd be best to tell them the truth."_ Aiba said. _"Fine... I guess it was inevitable."_ I said to Aiba, before speaking out to the others again. "Well, I guess the secret was going to come out sooner or later... But first, where is Mayumi?" I asked. "Oh, she was sleeping. She's a heavy sleeper, believe it or not." Ota explained. Makes sense, how she slept through all this.

"Right... Well, Aiba, come on out. Time to reveal yourselves to these two." I said, before said person began to wiggle out my left eye socket. Ota jumped back in disgust, and Mizuki stood there shocked. "W-W-What..." Ota began to spit out, before being unable to finish his sentence. "Wait, what!?" Mizuki yelled out, in pure shock. "My name is Aiba. My official designation is AI-Ball, but I am simply called Aiba." Aiba introduced herself to the two shocked people that saved me earlier, as she went to rest her tiny body on the nearby table. 

"Aiba here is 'secret', so you can't just go talking to people about it. She's the one that saved us here, giving precise calculations on what can and will happen. This included predicting Mizuki's movement, and calling Ota." I explained, after the two had calmed down. "I see... That makes sense, actually." Ota said to himself, grinning. "So that's why you were strangely talking to yourself on occasion...?" Mizuki asked. I was about to answer more questions, before a woman walked through the door way to greet our mess within the diner area.

Hitomi Sagan.


End file.
